FAQ and Information

What exactly is this “Lindy Hop” and Swing Dancing? Swing Dance relates to any dance form that is danced to Jazz Swing, music Lindy Hop is regarded as the ‘daddy’ of swing dancing but there are other contemporary dances such as Balboa and Collegiate Shag . See our dance styles page for more info.

Can I just turn up? Yes, of course. If you’re new best check out one of our beginners classes, but yes, you can certainly drop in at any time, with no prior dance experience.

Do I need a partner? No. Swing dancing is a social dance, and we like to keep students rotating so that they learn to dance with different partners throughout the classes. Sometimes partnerships build up over time and couples enter competitions or perform regularly together, but even then most dancers continue to dance with as many partners as possible socially.

What should I wear? Loose fitting clothing is best, and be warned: Lindy Hop is a decent physical workout, so you will get warm in most classes. Flat soled trainers are perfect, and it’s not necessary to wear leather soled shoes. We generally advise students to avoid open-topped, split-soled or high-heeled shoes for Lindy Hop. Jewellery can scratch and get broken, so wear as little as possible.

How can I become a member? Membership cards are available at Tuesday and Wednesday classes. Just ask before you pay for the class: your member discount will apply straight away. Membership runs from April, but you can join at any time – the price is on a pro-rata basis.

Do I have to start at the beginning of a monthly block? No, all of our classes are run on a drop-in basis, so you can come along any time, and you don’t have to attend a full block. Wednesday classes have a monthly block structure is to aid learning – the classes will follow on from each other each week, allowing you to build on the concepts learnt at the previous classes. Because the classes build on the material from the previous weeks, you will find it easier to join at the start of a block, especially if you are a new beginner or are making the jump from beginner to intermediate for the first time. Our other classes are entirely self-contained and do not run in four week blocks – come along any time!

Do you run classes over the holidays? Yes, our classes run all year round, including some Bank Holidays, except for a couple of weeks’ break at Christmas. Keep an eye on the website or Facebook for more details.

Why don’t you teach such-and-such? We try to teach a wide range of material at our classes to keep you interested, while still concentrating on improving the basics and technique. However, if there is something you feel we’re missing, or you’d prefer it if we did things a different way, then please do contact us and let us know. We love to hear your feedback and we are always looking for ways to improve our classes for you.